PORTLAND — A man from the Dominican Republic on Thursday admitted to entering the United States after he had previously been removed by federal officials.

Odanis Manuel Brea Mejia, 53, pleaded guilty to the charge two months after he was captured during a drug raid in Lewiston.

In January 2025, a search warrant was executed by Homeland Security and the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency at a home in Lewiston. As a result, prosecutors said, Brea Mejia was charged with drug trafficking.

“A records check showed that Brea Mejia was a Dominican national with an extensive criminal history who had been previously removed from the country in October 2021,” according to a U.S. District Court news release. “He had not obtained consent to reenter the United States. HSI notified U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and a Border Patrol agent transported Brea Mejia to the Rangeley Border Patrol Station.”

Brea Mejia was previously charged with misuse of Social Security and identity theft.

He now faces a maximum prison term of 20 years and a fine of up to $250,000. He will be sentenced after the completion of an investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office.